With so many properties being rebooted these days, it’s probably only a matter of time before beloved animated series The Simpsons goes under the knife.
Despite the ongoing trend that Disney started many years ago with The Jungle Book (2016), we doubt we’ll ever see a live-action reboot of the long-running comedy sitcom (besides, who wants to see that?), but now that the House of Mouse actually owns The Simpsons, having purchased 20th Century Fox back in 2019 and acquired a ton of IPs in the process, it begs to question where things are heading for Springfield.
Since the acquisition, parkgoers and fans alike have been left wondering what will become of The Simpsons at the likes of Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Orlando, both of which are home to Krusty Land, and with it The Simpsons Ride™. Are the world’s most iconic yellow family set to be relocated to the likes of Disneyland and Disney World, or will they stay put?
Well, though there are currently no concrete plans to up and move Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie and all the other inhabitants into one of the Disney Parks, at the same time, this can’t be ruled out. Recently, a statement from Walt Disney Company CFO Christine McCarthy suggested that The Simpsons could wind up in the parks at some point, with “consumer data” from the streaming service Disney+ being used to “better inform creatives and Imagineers”.
Should this happen, it may very well follow a reboot of The Simpsons in some shape or form. While the show continues to churn out new episode after new episode on Disney+ (it’s currently on its 34th season, while its 35th and 36th seasons having been commissioned earlier this year), that doesn’t mean it isn’t ripe for a reboot. Just take a look at what’s happening with Harry Potter – earlier this year, Warner Bros. announced that the film series is being rebooted into a television show on HBO.
The fact that Harry Potter, of all things, is getting a modernised makeover, proves that no franchise is sacred. But what does Harry Potter have to do with The Simpsons? Well, Harry Potter may not be owned by Disney (not yet, at least), but it can be found at the Universal Studios theme park resorts alongside The Simpsons in the form of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. So what’s the plan for Harry Potter where its theme park-counterpart is concerned?
Is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter due a rebranding of some sort, once the new series is fully established on HBO? It would be a huge risk that’s for sure – as the old saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – but some kind of acknowledgement of the reboot within the theme parks is probably inevitable. And if The Simpsons is next, even if it’s just a relocation to the Disney Parks with no reboot involved, it’s likely it will look very different after its big move.
You could easily while away hours planning a Simpsons Land for Disney’s Hollywood Studios and imagining everything that could be included.
Will it ever happen? I remain sceptical, however according to The Street, the twenty year licensing agreement is set to expire in 2028. This could mean in less than five years time, The Simpsons may have to be evicted from Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood completely.
This would be the perfect time for Disney to create a whole new land dedicated to the lovable characters. But Disney will likely want to separate their own version from the one that currently resides at Universal Studios, and perhaps the best way to do that would be to reboot it entirely. Only time will tell!
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